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While awarding MESS CONTRACTS Director Prof.T.S.Rao introduced a new system called BASE RATE.

For the first time in 2013, the Director introduced this system at NIT Warangal. The base rate was fixed by the Director as Rs. 78/- without involving the Chief Warden or Wardens. Since some of the tenderers quoted less than the base rate, their financial bids were rejected. Only one caterer (Sai Krupa Catering and maintenance services, Hyderabad) quoted exactly Rs. 78/- . As the other caterers, who quoted above to this rate denied to provide the services to this rate, the tenders were recalled.

During the same time Subramanyam, working at Hostel Office and Clerk for the ladies hostel, with the consent of the Director contacted the other two caterers Sri Raja Rajeswari Catering Services, Chennai and Sakthi Kitchen, Chennai (who provided catering services at IFC) before opening of the technical bids at Kalam guest House of NIT Warangal and got a deal for Rs. 50 lakhs kickback from all the three caterers for revealing the base rate to them. The three caterers quoted the daily rate exactly same as the base rate fixed by the Director and got the tender for the year 2013. The payment transactions between caterers and subramanayam took place in the Manager room (Sai Krupa Caterer) in the Ladies Hostel in the nights between 9.00PM to 11.00PM.

With this success and taste of bribes, again for the year 2014, the same three caterers (even though the other caterers quoted less daily rate) got the tender by quoting the daily rate as Rs. 90.01, Rs, 90.02 and Rs. 90.03 which was very near to the base rate of Rs. 90/- fixed by the Director. This time Subramanyam with the
consent of the Director made an agreement of Rs. 10/- per student per day for revealing the base rate. He and the Director got a kickback of Rs.1 crore (Rs. 10 x 3500 students x 10 months). Subramanyam collected the money in cash from the Caterers on instalment basis.

The speculating thing is that an enquiry was made on the tendering process at NIT Nagpur, when the difference between the base rate and rate quoted by the caterers of Rs. 1/- . Even though the difference between the base rate and rate quoted by the caterers is 1paise, 2 paise and 3 paise no enquiry was conducted at NIT Warangal against the Director.

For the year 2015-16 also, the Director and his mischief-maker (Subramanyam) implemented the same technique and thought of getting a kickback of Rs. 1.5 crore from the caterers. Unfortunately the tenders were cancelled and new procedure was introduced after Board of Governors intervention or Chief Warden intervention. They (The Director, Subramanyam and the three caterers) thought that the previous Chief Warden was responsible for cancelling the tenders, made him victim and sacked him. On the suggestion of the Director and Subramanynam, the three caterers wrote letter to the Director that making the base rate public and fixing it as Rs 86/- is illogical and unfair.

Finally the financial bids were opened and the daily rate for 2015-15 was finalized as Rs. 81.70/-.

It is interesting that one of the previous three caterers, Sai Krupa Caterers, Hyderabad got the tender. This caterer is the most dangerous culprit. He contacted the caterers from Hyderabad, conducted several meeting at NIT Guest house and convinced them to be part for the bribes to the Director with the help of Subramanyam, if the tender was awarded to them. All the caterers from Hyderabad including the previous three caterers quoted Rs. 81.70/- which is Rs 8.30/- less than the previous years base rate. The surprising thing is that the caterer from Nagpur who benefitted the Director at VNIT Nagpur got the tender.

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We are really sorry for disturbing you at this Nth hour of the semester. But it is imperative to bring this very important issue forward which effects our lives. The MHRD ministry through vide advertisement number F.No.34 -8/2015 – TS.III has called for appointment of new Director to NITW. It is our duty, if not responsibility, as a stake holder of NIT Warangal to place records on table and seek justice for all of us.

NIT Warangal has been bleeding for the last 10 years due to corruption by the Director’s. First it was the previous Director Prof.Y.V.Rao and now by our alumnus cum Director Prof.T.S.Rao. It is not a secret among the administration that Mr. & Mrs.T.S.Rao have made NIT Warangal as their family fiefdom.

May be it is in our fate that we need to suffer due to inaction of other stake holders of this institute, namely, the Faculty, the Students Council and NIT Warangal Alumni Association. Hence it is high time that we, Asthra, open up in public and see through that the efforts of Asthra to bar appoint of Prof. T.S.Rao further as Director of NIT Warangal or any other NIT do not go in vain.

Way back in 2010 the students have played a pivotal role in ousting the then corrupt Director Prof.Y.V.Rao. The collective efforts of students, faculty and non-teaching staff resonated in the power corridors of MHRD and led to few systematic changes in governance of NITs. Such was the power of collective effort and anger against corruption from NIT Warangal.

Therefore, we at Asthra solicit your support to bring an end to this ongoing maladministration and corruption at NIT Warangal. With Asthra’s efforts we bring to your notice the list of corruption at NIT Warangal by Mr. & Mrs. T.S.Rao.

Also, following the complaints of corruption and mal administration at NITW a preliminary enquiry committee constitution was called by the previous Chairman of NITW Dr.Krishna Ella. Till date the enquiry committee has not seen light and we have learnt that the current Director is seeking another 5 year term as NITW Director.

The following is the list of cases of corruption by Mr. & Mrs. T.S.Rao:

S.No.

Item

Remark

Reference

1.

International food court(IFC) & Ladies Hostel Mess

Last year Director received kickbacks of Rs.4 to 10 every day from each student enrolled in IFC. Base price of tender was Rs.77 but tenders were awarded at Rs. 90.05 and Rs.90.09

No accounts and procurement practices are followed at Hostel office. As a result huge commissions are made from purchases by Director and his henchmen at Hostel office. As a result students continue to pay inflated bills even today.

a. Repeated water purifying equipment’s worth crores were purchased in spite of knowing the fact that ground water at NITW is of very high turbidity and regular water purifiers do not work.

b. Just to receive kickbacks from contractor supplying drinking water work on municipal water supply to NIT Hostels and Messes has been stopped. Lakhs of rupees are paid from student pocket to contractor every month.

To escape Income Tax scrutiny money received as bribes is being deposited in the form of chits runs run by small firms in Warangal

6.

Tenders

Works worth crores are willfully split into pieces worth below Rs.50 Lakh so that works can be given on nomination basis. Thus paving way for nexus among Director and contractor and easier collection of bribes

7.

Vardhaman Security

Director received bribes by inflating number of security persons employed by the contractor

7.

Administrative posts

Administrative posts are auctioned by Director with the help of his henchmen to receive bribes. Promotions and assignments are given to those faculty who are yes men of Director.

8.

Visit by MHRD minister Mrs.Smriti Irani

2 crores was the amount that the Director spent on the visit by the Minister

9.

Chandiyagam

Chandiyagam was performed, February 2012, on the name of god just to receive donations (kickbacks) from contractors.

10.

Royal Enfield Motorcycles

5 Royal Enfield’s have been distributed by the Director keep the Student leaders as yes men of administration.

The above list is not exhaustive. The corruption done by Prof.T.S.Rao needs an in detailed inquiry as ingenuine ways which are difficult to visualize were employed to siphon money. There is an opinion that the Director Prof.T.S.Rao himself has made 15 to 20 crore from these kickbacks. Heance enquiry committee is need of the hour as ordered by previous Chairman.

Few might ask, why do not we approach courts if our allegations are true? Yes! We would approach the court if Prof.T.S.Rao is reappointed as Director of any NIT. But before that this campaign has to bring pressure on Ministry. We need to wait for Ministry’s stand.

We do have our vested interests in running this campaign. As alumnus of NIT Warangal our careers take an effect when MHRD ranks NIT Warangal at number 28(NIT Warangal was ranked No.7 (All India) and 1st among NITs in 2006 by IDC-Dataquest-Nasscom). Alumni at starting of their careers will be seen with skepticism by the industry. The esteem associated with NITW brand is lowered. Students’ placements get affected. Faculty recruitment takes effect and the cream might not prefer NITW as a place to teach and do research. Tomorrow, who knows, MHRD might tie funds with performance in NIRF(National Institutional Ranking Framework). In short every stake holder of NIT Warangal is effected by the corrupt and maladministration of current Director Prof.T.S.Rao. There is very danger of NITW being ranked at number 50 in the next round of NIRF.

If you believe in what we have presented please sign our petition on change.org. If you do not believe, we request, you at least not to take side of corrupt Director Prof.T.S.Rao.

Lastly we request you not to fall in trap to the words of few Students’ council leaders who themselves are shareholders in this malaise. Also beware of Professors who rob the institute with fake ‘chai ka paisa’ bills.

Our talent and hard work do not deserve these scums!

Help us by signing our petition to Smriti Irani at https://goo.gl/BknT37

Corruption has become a household topic these days with almost everybody talking about corruption and how much money our country is losing because of it. While this is a welcome change, systemic changes will only happen when we stand together and put up a united front against the institutionalized form of corruption system. Towards this, the role of youth and especially students becomes very critical. This very thought along with the problems we faced in trying to correct the system at NIT Warangal (previously REC Warangal) has inspired us to start “Asthra”.

Our motto is to make the current education system “Transparent and corruption free”. (www.theasthra.org). We started off as a group of NIT Warangal alumni. We are now trying to bring together the alumni and students of various colleges of AP, to start the fight against corruption and to encourage the use of Right to Information (RTI). Consequently, here we are , inviting you to the gathering .

Date and Time : 12th June, 2011, 10.00am

Venue : 1st Floor, Maheswari Complex, Masab Tank Hyderabad

The following will address the gathering :

Mr Amitabh Thakur, IPS, President, National RTI Forum

Mr V V Lakshmi Narayana, IPS, DIG, CBI, Andhra Pradesh

Dr P V Ramesh, IAS, Prl Secy to Govt of AP, HMFW Department

Dr Nutan Thakur, Journalist and RTI activist.

A warm welcome to one and all from the Asthra team.

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Central Information Commission (CIC) has directed Ministry of External Affairs to make public all letters that it has issued or received concerning Bhopal gas leak of December 1984. The decision came on an appeal filed by the RTI activist Afroz Alam “Sahil” who was denied his request for information by the Foreign Ministry since the matter of extradition of Warren Anderson is sub judice.

“A matter sub judice is not ground enough for denying information about the matter, as has been well settled law held in various previous decisions,” wrote Information Commissioner Mrs. Annapurna Dixit asking the ministry to reveal information sought by Afroz Alam by June 10th.

The information sought includes all correspondence between the ministry and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from April 1984 to July 1995; photocopies of all letters written by the ministry to any department; letters received by the ministry from the Central Government and the Madhya Pradesh Government concerning Bhopal gas leak; and details of all expenditure incurred by the ministry.

Mr. Alam had filed his RTI application on June 10th, 2010 which was replied on August 13th, 2010 stating that information was not readily available regarding letters exchanged with CBI. For other matters the ministry said it is consulting with the Law Ministry. Perturbed, Mr. Alam filed another RTI on August 25th to which the information officer of the ministry replied on September 9th, 2010 referring to the previous RTI application. Therefore, on November 13, 2010, Afroz Alam filed an appeal which was heard and ruled on May 5th, 2011.

During the hearing the Information Officer of the Ministry of External Affairs stated that the information sought is related to the extradition matter of the former Union Carbide CEO Warren Anderson and since this is under consideration by the Government of India and is sub judice and therefore cannot be revealed. The ministry also denied incurring any expenses related to Bhopal disaster.

Rejecting MEA’s claims, Commissioner in her ruling stated that it is evident that “the information sought relates to one of the world’s worst industrial catastrophes resulting in death, disability and maiming of thousands of people all over Bhopal. The information therefore, is of significance to the general public, especially the families of the victims who have been awaiting justice since over last two decades.”

Leak of methyl isocynate from Union Carbide’s Bhopal plant on the night of Dec 2-3, 1984 killed thousands and the disaster continues for residents of the area affected by the leak. Victims continue to struggle for justice and compensation.

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The Department of Training and Personnel(DOPT) has given clear instructions to the public authorities saying Indian Postal Order(IPO) as modes of payment of fees under Right to Information act.

The DOPT also said,”Refusal to accept fee through the IPO may be treated as refusal to accept the application. It may result into imposition of penalty by the Central Information Commission on the concerned Central Public Information Officer under Section 20 of the Act. All the public authorities should, therefore, ensure that payment of fee by IPO is not denied.”